MilestoneApr 18, 2026Launch location: Cape Canaveral / Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA

NASA clears implementation work for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars mission

References

Story Brief

NASA approved implementation of the ROSA project that will provide launch service and key hardware for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover mission.

The decision moves the joint Mars effort into execution ahead of a launch targeted no earlier than late 2028.

NASA said its contribution includes Falcon Heavy launch service, lander braking engines, radioisotope heater units, and instrument hardware for the rover’s subsurface life-detection work.

Reference Details

X · ESA

Our Mars rover mission Rosalind Franklin is scheduled to be launched in 2028, with the support of NASA. It will be the first ever to drill up to two metres below the Red Planet’s surface, searching for signs of past or present life on Mars.

https://x.com/esa/status/2045058362404909106

NASA Science

NASA approved the ROSA project to begin implementation, providing launch service and key hardware for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover mission.

https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/mars-rosa/2026/04/16/nasa-begins-implementation-for-esas-rosalind-franklin-mission-to-mars/

X · Stephen Clark

NASA confirms the launch contract for Rosalind Franklin on Falcon Heavy is valued at $175.7 million. https://t.co/Hk0rvJY34r

https://x.com/StephenClark1/status/2045212544768376975

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Mentioned Companies & Entities

NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

Technologies Involved

Falcon HeavyMars Rover Science